With increasing regularity, protective cases are being constructed for a variety of computing devices such as smart phones, tablets, PDAs and/or other portable computing devices. Their respective designs vary, ranging between degrees of protection as well as facilitating use of the computing device in a more protected environment.
Cases have been known to be constructed from molding using silicon or thermoplastic polyurethane rubber that provides some basic protection against drops and scratches. Other case designs have been constructed from relatively stiffer injected plastics such as polycarbonate.
The design and construction of the known cases therefore vary depending on the desired amount of protection, costs, and consideration for certain materials and mounting schemes balanced with features that facilitate performance of the computing device itself. For example, certain material may provide basic structural protection, be relatively cheap, but this material may induce too much friction (e.g. grip) to the user that interferes with easy attachment of the case with the device or grip with other articles such as parts of the user's body or other objects foreign to the case.
In addition to material selection, cases can suffer from being too bulky and difficult to stow away. It is also known that materials for certain cases can degrade over time thereby diminishing protective capabilities of the case as well as loosening its attachment with the computing device. Aesthetically, a worn case also diminishes the overall impression of the case and the attached computing device. Such cases can also have reduced bulk versus their rubber counterparts. Plastic injected mold cases can suffer from passing on relatively high material stresses to the computing device itself due to the differing elasticity and cushioning. For computing devices with sensitive displays or input devices, such protective devices may therefore may not be desirous.
Certain cases also decrease the ability of a device positioned within them to expel heat by virtue of the materials chosen or the coverage over vents or other heated areas of the device.
Certain hybrid combinations have therefore been designed to combine each approach with the softer, cushion portions being placed in communication with the computing device whereas the exterior portion being constructed from the less bulky, injected plastic.
Yet, even with these hybrid solutions, stress tests to the computing devices caused by normal use through drops or collisions can lead to device damage and case separation. In turn, the user may have to fix the device, buy a new one, and/or re-assemble the case with the computing device. Furthermore, many cases fail to completely protect or envelope the associated computing device which unnecessarily risks structural harm to the computing device.
Known cases also suffer by limiting accessibility or storage for certain features of the computing device received by the case. Many cases, such as folio type cases used with computing devices, are designed to allow a portion of the case to fold and be used in a stand to adjust the angle and elevation of the device in certain positions. However, such cases have been known to be cumbersome and difficult to use as far as adjusting the elevation or position of the case itself. Therefore, a need exists to resolve these and other problems in the art.